Lesson Plan: Animals Around Us (Class 3 – Our World)

Subject: Environmental Studies (EVS) / Science Topic: Animals Around Us Grade Level: Class 3 Time Allotment: 6 Periods (approx. 35-40 minutes each)

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Speak about animals, the food they eat, where they live and how they help us.
• Identify different animals in their surroundings.
• Identify simple features (movements / sounds) of animals in their surroundings.
• Differentiate types of animals based on their dwelling places.
• Develop sensitivity towards animals in their surroundings.
• Share information on how they help animals.

Materials Required:

• Textbook: “Animals Around Us(E).pdf” (Class 3 – Our World)
• Pictures/flashcards of different animals (domestic, wild, terrestrial, aquatic, amphibians)
• Chart paper, markers, crayons/color pencils
• Science notebook for drawing/tracing
• Optional: Audio clips of various animal sounds
• Whiteboard/Blackboard

Period-wise Breakdown:

Period 1: Introduction to Animals & Domestic/Wild Animals

Objective: To introduce the concept of animals and help students identify domestic and wild animals (Learning Outcomes: Identify different animals in their surroundings, Speak about animals, where they live and how they help us).

Introduction (5 minutes):

• Begin with a warm greeting: “Good morning, my little animal explorers! Today, we’re going to dive into the exciting world of animals that live all around us!”
• “Imagine our world without animals. What would it be like? (Guide them to think about pets, farm animals, animals in forests). Yes, animals are an important part of our world!”

Activity 1: Storytelling & Discussion (15 minutes):

• Read aloud the story of Srinu’s visit to his uncle’s agricultural farm (Page 46).
• Observe the picture of the agricultural farm (Page 46).
• Ask questions:
  • “What animals do you see in the picture of the farm?”
  • “What animals do you see in your surroundings?”
• Facilitate a short discussion about what animals they know.

Activity 2: Classifying Domestic and Wild Animals (15 minutes):

• Explain that animals live in different places and help us in many ways (Page 48).
• Introduce Domestic Animals: “Animals that live with us or are kept on farms are called domestic animals.” Show pictures (Page 48).
  • Discuss Pet Animals (e.g., dogs, cats) and how they help (dogs guard, cats catch mice) (Page 48).
  • Discuss Farm Animals (e.g., cows, goats, hens, horses) and their uses (milk, eggs, meat, carrying loads) (Page 48).
• Introduce Wild Animals: “Animals that live in forests are called wild animals” (Page 50). Show pictures (Page 48). Give examples like lion, tiger, bear, elephant (Page 50).
• Activity-1 (Page 50): “Look at the picture, mark ‘D’ for domestic animals and ‘W’ for wild animals.” Do this together or individually.

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• Summarize: “Today, we learned about the different animals around us, especially distinguishing between domestic animals (pets and farm animals) and wild animals.”
• Preview: “Next time, we’ll discover how these amazing animals move from one place to another!”
• Homework: Observe animals in their neighborhood or from books/TV and identify whether they are domestic or wild.

Period 2: Animal Movements

Objective: To help students understand and identify different ways animals move.

Recap (5 minutes):

• “Good morning, everyone! Who can name one domestic animal and one wild animal we discussed yesterday? Great!”

Activity 1: Exploring Animal Movements (25 minutes):

• Read the story about Madhavi and the parrot (Page 50). Discuss: “What helped the parrot to fly away?”
• Discuss the question: “Do you know how animals move from one place to another?” (Page 50).
• Explain various modes of movement with examples (Page 50):
  • Walk/Run: Dogs, cows, elephants use their legs.
  • Crawl: Lizards, chameleons, snakes.
  • Jump/Hop: Kangaroos, frogs use their legs.
  • Fly: Birds (parrots, pigeons, crows) use their wings (Page 50).
  • Swim: Fishes use fins and tails (Page 50).
• Activity-2 (Page 52): “Animals move in different ways to go from one place to another. Observe the pictures. Write how they move about.” Guide students to fill in the blanks (e.g., “pigeon and crow can fly”).

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• Summarize: “Fantastic work today! We explored the many amazing ways animals move – walking, crawling, flying, swimming, and jumping!”
• Preview: “Tomorrow, we’ll learn about where different animals live – their homes!”
• Homework: Observe how different animals move (e.g., a dog, a cat, a bird outside, or even insects).

Period 3: Dwelling Places of Animals

Objective: To help students classify animals based on their living places: terrestrial, aquatic, and amphibians.

Recap (5 minutes):

• “Hello, my animal explorers! Can you show me with your hands how a bird flies? How about how a snake crawls? Great!”

Activity 1: Discovering Animal Homes (15 minutes):

• Read the “My Home” section about the rabbit running into its burrow (Page 52).
• Discuss: “Do you know where other animals live?” (Page 52).
• Show the picture of different animals in their habitats (Page 54).
• Explain that animals live in different places: some on trees, some in water, and some on land (Page 54).

Activity 2: Classifying Animals by Habitat (20 minutes):

• Introduce Terrestrial Animals: “Animals that live on land are called terrestrial animals.” Give examples: cow, dog, cat, hen (Page 54).
• Introduce Aquatic Animals: “Animals that live in water are called aquatic animals.” Discuss their body features like boat-shaped bodies, fins, tails, and gills that help them live in water (Page 54). Give examples: fish.
• Introduce Amphibians: “Animals that live both on land and in water are called amphibians.” Discuss their moist skin, webbed feet, strong hind limbs (Page 54). Give examples: frog, salamander.
• Activity-3 (Page 54): “Observe the picture, tell and write the names of the animals and their living places.”
• Activity-4 (Page 56): “Write the names of animals according to the places they live.” Guide students to fill in the table for “Terrestrial,” “Aquatic,” and “Amphibians.”

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• Summarize: “Today, we learned about the different homes of animals – on land, in water, and both! We now know about terrestrial, aquatic, and amphibious animals.”
• Preview: “Next time, we’ll find out what different animals like to eat!”
• Homework: Draw or write about one animal from each category (terrestrial, aquatic, amphibian) and where it lives.

Period 4: Food Habits of Animals (Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores)

Objective: To help students understand and classify animals based on their food habits.

Recap (5 minutes):

• “Good morning, curious minds! Can you name one animal that lives in water? How about one that lives on land?”

Activity 1: Exploring Animal Diets (25 minutes):

• Read the story about Raghu giving a biscuit to the puppy (Page 58). Discuss: “Do you know what animals eat?”
• Explain that animals eat different types of food (Page 58).
• Introduce Herbivores: “Animals that eat only grass and plant products are called herbivores.” Show pictures (Page 58). Give examples: cows, buffaloes, donkeys, horses, elephants, deer, squirrels (Page 58).
• Introduce Carnivores: “Animals that eat the meat of other animals are called carnivores.” Show pictures (Page 58). Give examples: tigers, lions, foxes, crocodiles (Page 58).
• Introduce Omnivores: “Animals that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores.” Show pictures (Page 58). Give examples: bears, crows, monkeys, dogs (Page 58).
• Discuss Natural Scavengers: “Vultures, crows, and foxes consume dead animals. They are called natural scavengers” (Page 58).
• Think and Discuss (Page 58):
  • “What is the food of mosquitoes?”
  • “To which category do you belong – herbivore, carnivore or omnivore?”

Activity 2: Matching Animals and Food (5 minutes):

• Activity-5 (Page 60): “Match the animals with their prey.” Work through this activity together.

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• Summarize: “Excellent work today! We learned that animals have different diets and can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores!”
• Preview: “Tomorrow, we’ll discover how animals talk to each other and why it’s so important to protect them!”
• Homework: Draw your favorite animal and what it eats. Try to classify it as a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.

Period 5: Animal Communication & Protection

Objective: To teach students about animal communication and the importance of protecting animals.

Recap (5 minutes):

• “Hello, my smart scientists! Can you name one herbivore? One carnivore? One omnivore? Fantastic!”

Activity 1: How Animals Communicate (15 minutes):

• Read the story of Kusuma and her friends making animal sounds (Page 60). Discuss: “Do you know how animals communicate?”
• Explain that animals use sounds to warn others, mark territory, or identify themselves (Page 60).
• Think and Discuss (Page 60): Discuss sounds of different animals they might have heard (calf, cuckoo, lizard, cricket).
• Let us Do (Page 62): “Let children make the sounds of the given animals. Do you know how these animals make sounds? In the box below you will find the sounds of animals. Pick the right one.” Guide students to fill the table (e.g., Dog – Barks).

Activity 2: Protecting Animals (15 minutes):

• Read the story of Kiran and Srinu saving the baby bird (Page 62). Discuss their actions.
• Emphasize the message: “Our surroundings become pleasant when we protect all the creatures around us. We should protect the birds and animals” (Page 62).
• Discuss harmful actions to avoid: breaking bird eggs, disturbing nests, plucking wings, throwing stones at street dogs (Page 62).
• Reinforce: “We must protect animals. They also feel pain like us. We should allow them to live happily around us. We must give food and water to birds and other animals and protect them” (Page 62).

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• Summarize: “Wonderful work today, animal protectors! We learned that animals communicate with sounds and, most importantly, that it is our responsibility to care for and protect them.”
• Preview: “Tomorrow is our final review and project day, where we’ll celebrate all we’ve learned!”
• Homework: Think of one way you can help protect animals around you (e.g., providing water for birds, not disturbing nests).

Period 6: Review, Key Words & Project Work

Objective: To review all concepts learned in the lesson and complete project-based activities.

Recap (5 minutes):

• “Good morning, my wonderful class! Today is our review day! To get started, can anyone share their favorite amazing fact about animals that we’ve learned so far?”

Activity 1: Key Words and What We Have Learnt (15 minutes):

• Go through the “Key words” section (Page 62): agricultural farm, animals, birds, insects, wild animals, domestic animals, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, terrestrial, aquatic, amphibians, protect, nest, communicate. Discuss each term briefly.
• Review “What we have learnt” (Page 64) to summarize main points:
  • Animals and birds live with us.
  • Animals are of two types: domestic and wild.
  • Animals move in various ways.
  • Animals live on land and in water.
  • Animals eat different types of food.
  • Animals make different sounds to communicate.
  • People should have concern towards animals and birds.

Activity 2: Improve Your Learning Questions (10 minutes):

• Conceptual Understanding (Page 64):
  • “Tell and write the names of five pet animals.”
  • “How do animals move from one place to another?”
  • “How can we help the animals and birds around us?”
• Questioning and Hypothesis (Page 64): “Say who am I?” riddles (snake, fish, cow, bird).

Activity 3: Project Work & Appreciation (10 minutes):

• Project Work (Page 66):
  • Information skills – Project work (point 6): “Collect or draw the pictures of two animals of each category (Pet, Domestic, Wild, Birds) and paste them in the given space.” (Assign as a long-term project).
  • Drawing pictures and model making (point 7): “Colour the pictures given below (elephant, fish).”
  • Experiments and field observations (point 5): “Some birds can fly, some birds cannot. Observe birds in your surroundings and categorize them under the proper headings (can fly / cannot fly).” Discuss examples (Crow, Sparrow, Parrot, Penguin, Ostrich, Hen).
• Appreciation (Page 66, points 8 and 78): Discuss questions like:
  • “You know that mosquitoes harm us. Write three preventive measures to be taken to keep mosquitoes away.”
  • “How do you feel if you see someone cutting the branches of the trees around you? What will you do then?” and “What will you do if you see the fallen leaves in your school ground?” (Reiterates sensitivity towards nature).

Closure (3-5 minutes):

• “Fantastic work throughout this lesson, my amazing animal experts! You’ve learned so much about the incredible animals around us – where they live, what they eat, how they move, and how they communicate. Remember, all living beings deserve our respect and protection. Let’s make a promise to always be kind to animals!”

Assessment:

• Formative Assessment: Observe student participation in discussions, hands-on activities, and group work. Check their completed tables, drawings, and classification exercises.
• Summative Assessment: Review the “Improve Your Learning” questions and project work.

Differentiation:

• For advanced learners: Encourage them to research a specific animal and create a mini-report about its habitat, diet, and unique features. They could also research endangered animals and discuss why protection is important.
• For struggling learners: Provide additional visual aids (larger flashcards, simplified diagrams), offer more direct guidance during activities, and pair them with supportive peers. Focus on identifying the main types of animals and one key feature for each.

Cross-Curricular Connections:

• Language Arts: Encourage students to write short sentences or stories about animals, their movements, or sounds.
• Art: Incorporate drawing, coloring, and craft activities (like the animal picture collection and coloring).
• Math: Counting different types of animals observed, or comparing animal sizes/speeds (qualitatively).
• Environmental Education: Discussions on animal welfare, biodiversity, and conservation.

This lesson plan is designed to make learning about “Animals Around Us” an engaging and enriching experience for Class 3 pupils, fostering curiosity and empathy towards the animal kingdom.